To Think I Knew
by Jecir
Summary: To the world, she was a hero who battled the darkness alone before the Sailor Senshi formed. To him, she was a little girl in need of a lesson. Kunzite/Minako. Fourth Installment of "Wild Stallions in the Night."


AN: Without further ado, I present Minako and Kunzite immortalized in the "Wild Stallions" Universe.

To think I knew…

By: Jecir

Minako twirled about, laughing gaily at her new lot. To think, _she_, the young and, might she say, fantastically beautiful new actress starring as a teen super hero actually becoming one? She laughed again. It was all so absurd. And yet, as she turned to cut through the park, she could not deny the excitement that rose within her at the thought of facing the Dark Kingdom again. Her first battle had gone well, she thought, overall, despite a few…um…bumps in the road, but she would get the hang of it.

She stopped in front of a dense section of forest. The setting sun outlined her every curve as she threw her fist into the air dramatically and bellowed, "Look out, Dark Kingdom! Sailor V is here!" Without thinking of who could have heard her, Minako threw her head back and laughed.

"Quite cocky, I think, for a girl with only one slim victory under her belt."

Minako jumped at the voice. She looked around in shock, but no one was there. Swallowing, she backed up, as the deep rumbling slid over her senses again. "Truly, girl, your vanity will be your undoing."

"Vanity?" she scoffed. All thought of fear vanished in the face of her indigence. Clutching her transformation broach, she stood straight, threw her head back, and declared, "I am Sailor V, champion of justice! You, whatever you are, had better beware or you will face my wrath."

Then the mysterious creature did something intolerable. He laughed. It was a rich, deep laugh that rang throughout the park and sent chills down her spine. And a spike of anger through her heart, for the laughter was heated with mockery. "Poor, naïve child," he said. "You have no idea what kind of world you have now found yourself entangled. Your meager fighting skills will not last long against this enemy. You were lucky the first time. Had I been your enemy, you would be dead now."

She flushed; embarrassed, rebuked, and angered by his scrutiny. Holding tight to her mother's lessons in etiquette, she tried in vain to steady her breath and regain control of the conversation. "You are not my enemy?" she whispered.

"Indeed."

"Then why hide yourself?" she challenged. There! Let that cocky….whatever he was suck on that!

A pair of silver eyes appeared in the shadows dancing amongst the trees. Minako felt frozen to her spot at the sight of them. They were narrowed, focused, and filled with a power that she could not comprehend. Every word he had spoken rang with new light in her ears as she gazed deeper and deeper into his eyes. Whoever this was, he was far beyond her level. How she had thought herself a warrior of any caliber now escaped her. He had every right to mock her. Who did she think she was? The more he looked at her, the smaller she felt.

"Come here."

She did as told without thought of defiance or argument. No man commanded Aino Minako! But this man…his authority was not to be questioned. She knew that. She did. She would not question. Swallowing her fears, she walked into the thickening darkness. A shiver spread over her skin. In her limited experience, she knew it to be born from magic. Somehow, she knew that she was no longer a small patch of trees in the park. She was now surrounded by a thick, ancient forest that spoke of a time long since dead.

And he stood in the midst of it like a lord claiming his land. He was tall and fierce with long white hair that shimmered with a silver sheen. Power rippled off of him in waves that made her fear that what she felt was merely a taste of the storm contained within. He unsheathed his sword. It sang with power.

"Transform," he said.

She did. The meager powers of her broach felt like a flickering candle before the sun.

He looked over her with a calculating eye before speaking. "There is much still you need to learn if you are to defend this world against the Dark Kingdom." For the first time since their conversation began, his eyes slipped from hers. He gazed at the fading light of the sun. "We have little time," he whispered to no one.

Minako wondered what he could mean by that. Why did he say she was the only one? He was here. Could he not help her? She wanted to ask. But she dared not speak unless given permission.

The moment had passed. His eyes were back on her. And his body slipped into a position of attack. "Get ready," he said.

And they dueled.

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Minako stood in the midst of the darkening park, waiting patiently as the sun slipped below the horizon. It was the witching hour, as they say, when the day dwellers flee into the safety of their homes in hopes that the darkness does not creep in to grab them. If only they knew the true power of the night, they would not flee in fear but in respect.

She breathed deep the frigid air. She savored the chill as it spread from her lungs to her bones and out onto her skin. This was her time. She was not afraid of the dark. She respected the dark. And, as she gazed into the deepening shadows of the trees before her, she prepared herself to encounter the master of this land that emerges only when light and dark merge in equality.

Shoulders back and wand in hand, she stepped forward through the threshold of twilight.

Words of power slipped from her lips, shedding her mortal coil and releasing the celestial warrior within. The Moon Stone Sword felt so right in her gloved hand. It reassured her of her strength, her purpose, and her position as defender of the earth. Though she was not alone in her call anymore, she would not allow for her skills to slip. Peace there may be, but she had learned long ago that peace could disappear like the vapors of early morning mist.

She narrowed her eyes as the thick shadows began to swirl. She would not falter in her post. She would not fail him, not after he put his trust in her. A sacred trust, she mused as she had so many times, to protect this planet in his stead. One day he would be released from the shadows. One day, he and his brothers would be allowed to reclaim their positions as the Four Kings of Terra. It all would come to pass…as soon as Mamoru released that he was the King of Terra and had quite a store of magic backing him if he would just awaken to it!

Now was not the time, she chided herself. Distraction was a dangerous thing.

She spun, her sword of stone raised to spar with hardened steel. Sparks flew as the enchanted mineral shaved stone from her blade.

She smirked as the sparks briefly illuminated his stoic face. She would _not_ be distracted.

He smirked and disappeared into the reclaiming darkness.

She quickly moved from her position in search of a more advantageous battleground. This was his realm. He knew ever nook and cranny. There was not a place she could claim without him having the upper hand. Her eyes narrowed; excitement spiked through her; this was exactly how she liked it.

They dueled long into the night and dared even to push the boundary of a new day. Her muscles ached, her arms shook, and her legs burned with fatigue. Her magic was nearly spent. But she would not give in. She would prove her strength today. He would not best her. He would not!

A slash from the right. She moved to dodge. The force ripped her weapon from her fingers into the endless night around her. In swift succession, his elbow knocked her back. Fatigue swam in her brain, blurring her balance, and leaving her defenseless against the pull of gravity.

She hit the ground, and his blade pierced the earth next to her head. She could feel the fading heat of magic brushing her clammy skin as she laid in the darkness. And her breath caught as his presence loomed over her. She waited anxiously for him to speak. Her guard had not been up. She had been slow in her defenses near the end. He had pushed her to increase her endurance. She should not have slowed so soon.

A deep kiss sucked what remained of her breath away and filled her with a heat that drove out her fatigue.

Before she could dig her fingers into his hair and hold him against her until she was consumed, he pulled away. She immediately missed his warmth.

"Your defense," he said.

"I know," she groaned as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. She wished she could see him, to know what he was thinking. It was their curse. He was the lord of light and dark, yet she could only see him in the hours of night. The gateway allowed her to enter at twilight and leave again at dawn. Not the other way around.

Sitting with her arms resting over her knees, she starred into the night, a night he had used to sharpen her senses and hone her skills. She had survived those many battles alone because of him. And yet…and yet… "After six years, how can I not beat you?"

He sat beside her; her only indication was his warmth brushing her. She reached up to touch his face. He captured her hand and held it firmly against his cheek.

"Byako," she whispered.

He kissed her palm. "You have gotten better," he said. "Soon, I will have to take you seriously."

She gasped and slapped his shoulder. His humor rippled through his chuckles.

And then, the first rays of dawn broke through their solitude.

She turned into the light, hating it for all its worth, knowing that she could not see him again until it hid its face from the world at dusk. But, even as she stood with her hand in his, she thanked the sun; because, for just a moment, she could see his face and know that he was not a dream.

She gazed into his silver eyes. How she longed to walk into the world with him by her side. He was her strength. He made her Sailor Venus. He knew the little girl she used to be before the Dark Kingdom stole her youth. He knew she was afraid. He knew she was weak. He knew.

And he loved her for it. Cupping her face, he drew her close to drink from her one final time before parting. "Stay strong, Aphrodite."

She nodded, tears rimming her eyes and stealing her voice. Squaring her shoulders, she walked back into the world of mortals.

"Welcome back."

Minako jumped and spun around to face the dark haired miko standing in the dawning light. "Rei!"

Rei smiled. "Minako."

"What are you doing here?" Minako asked, feeling much like a child caught with her hands in the cookie jar.

Rei looked past her at the trees laughing in the morning air. She smirked a knowing sort of smirk. Pushing off the tree she had opted to lean against in her time of waiting, she reached out to her leader and dear friend. "Come on. Makoto and Ami are waiting at the café on the corner. We have a lot to talk about."

Minako glanced over her shoulder. Her Sailor senses told her that her second in command knew her secret. She sighed, defeated. She knew she could not keep him a secret for long. Resigning herself to her fate, she took Rei's hand and allowed herself to be lead away into a future unknown.

The End.

AN: There is one more installment to this universe. I will get to it when I feel like it. So don't pester me, least I delay it on purpose. :p Love you guys for sticking to it and demanding I complete my project. Thank you. I am beyond happy to know I have faithful fans out there. Hope you enjoyed this long awaited installment.

Jecir


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